Home · Clupeidae · Bang
Bang (Sardinella aurita) — Clupeidae

Bang

Sardinella aurita
Family: Clupeidae
LC · Least Concern

The Bang (Sardinella aurita) is a brackish-water fish of the family Clupeidae that grows up to 41 cm.

Length
41 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0.0–350.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The round sardinella is a slender, silvery clupeid reaching about 41 cm. A faint golden line runs along the flank and a small black spot sits at the edge of the gill cover. It has a single spineless dorsal fin and a deeply forked tail. The species lives pelagically in coastal waters of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, forming large schools that rise to the surface at night and disperse. Its food consists mainly of zooplankton such as copepods and mysid larvae. Strongly migratory, the round sardinella is an important commercial fish across its warm-water range.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Bang?

The Bang has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Bang live?

The Bang lives in brackish water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Bang get?

The Bang grows to a maximum of about 41 cm. On average the species is around 25 cm.

Is the Bang dangerous to humans?

No, the Bang is harmless to humans.

Is the Bang edible?

Yes, the Bang is commonly eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Ansjovis sourced
English name
Bang verified
Scientific name
Sardinella aurita
Family
Clupeidae
Other names
Black sprat; False sardine; Fry-dry verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
41.0 verified
Average length (cm)
25.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked sourced
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
350.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore verified
Social behaviour
Schooling verified
Territorial
No verified
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes verified
Sexual dimorphism
No verified
levensduur_max_jaar
7.0 verified

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten verified
Fishing method
Sportvissen met kunstaas of (dood/levend) aasvis door te trollen, te werpen of drijvend te vissen in open water. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Sardinella

More from the family Clupeidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →